The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety of your car seat is a top concern for every parent. Thankfully, there's an abundance of options when it comes to finding the ideal car seat for newborns for your little one.

Featuring a cosy baby-hugg inlay and enhanced side impact protection This Cybex Cloud T is the best newborn car seat UK. It also features a single-handed recline option and more than 12 headrest positions that adjust to your child's growing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the best choice to take your baby along on trips from the moment they are born until they become toddlers. It's the newest update to the legendary Cybex Cloud line and features the latest reclining technology that allows your child an ergonomic, flat position in the car, and when used alongside a pushchair in the context of a travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat, which means it is able to be easily connected to your vehicle using the base that comes with it. It can even be rotated 360 degrees to help get your child in and out.

The car seat is made of top quality materials, and is available in a variety of stylish colors, including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It's a stylish and elegant choice that seamlessly matches with the Cybex T line of prams. It also includes the Newborn Inlay for newborns and premature babies that helps ensure a secure, flat position that reduces the risk of their heads bouncing forward during sleep, which could cause breathing difficulties. It can be removed when your child is 60 centimeters in height.

The car seat is an excellent choice for safety, as it has scored an impressive 1.7 in crash tests conducted by ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V.). The Cloud T iSize is equipped with LSP (Linear Side-impact protection) to protect your baby in the event of a collision and the revolutionary Flexi-Fix system that can be stretched to fit your child as they expand.

The innovative 180deg rotating system makes it simple to get your baby into and out of the car seat when using it as part a travel system that includes a Cybex stroller. There is no more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat can be positioned in a fully reclined posture for added comfort during long car journeys. The cost is a bit higher than other car seats of this age group but the features it offers including the reclining feature as well as excellent safety features make it worth the investment.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seats is among the most popular infant car seats on the market. It is comfortable for infants and easy to use. It's suitable for infants from birth. It can be used with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base, or your car seat belt system. The car seat is compatible with most pushchairs including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo with adapters. The Baby-Hugg infant support is also included to provide the best fit, better laying position, and side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus is a Group 0+ car seat, which means it is suitable for use for babies ranging from birth until 12 months old (45cm to 75cm). It is in compliance with the latest Kinderkraft ONETO3 I-Size Child Car Seat - Black Pushchairs & Prams guidelines that requires children to be in the rear of the car for longer. It is compatible with the 2way family base, which allows you to change from forward facing infant car seat-facing to rear-facing within the same vehicle. It also has an easy-to-use rotating feature.

It's still a comfortable seat, but the latest version has a few improvements. It features a new, improved baby-hugging insert that feels and looks great. The shoulder straps are padded and the headrest is able to be moved up or down as your baby grows. You can take it off at any time in case you decide not to use it anymore.

It is a little heavier at 4.5kg than other infant carseats, however this shouldn't be an issue when your baby spends the majority of the time in it. It has a handle that can make it easier to carry, and is lightweight enough to be carried into and out of taxis or rideshare vehicles.

It's also a nice-looking seat and you can pick from a wide range of colours and patterns to match your car. It's not the most cost-effective infant car seat, but it's an excellent investment that is worth the money for your baby. It can be tricky to adjust the harness's height and length however once you get the hang of it it's fine. You can adjust the straps by pulling them down on the back panel pressing two buttons simultaneously.

3. Joie Calmi

If you're looking for a baby car seat that is user-friendly and can be used by your baby like a cot then you should consider Joie Calmi. This car seat that doubles as a carrycot is certified by R129. It's built to last with a durable ventilated outer shell and a plush padding to hold your baby. It has an easy 3-point harness that is accessible with one-pull tightening and softly padded covers. It also features lateral positioning, which keeps your baby's face in the most secure possible position in the event of collision.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie's Aeria and Finiti pushchairs, which means you can remove it and put it back on with ease. And, thanks to adjustable handles, it's easy to lift, even when your child is asleep. If you're looking to make a travel set, iBase Encore adapters will allow you to pair Calmi with a MaxiCosi or Britax stroller.

Joie has improved the design of its previous i-Spin 360, which earned an excellent score in Which?'s crash tests and a Good rating from ADAC. The latest model that we tested comes with a lock that stops you from rotating the seat too soon, ensuring your baby stays rearward-facing for the longest time possible. It also has a huge, water-resistant sun canopy with 50+ UV protection, as well as a mesh peekaboo to allow you to check in without disturbing your child.

If you're shopping for a car seat newborn (reference) seat online, ensure you pick a retailer that provides free UK mainland delivery on all purchases and returns within 35 days. John Lewis offers a wide selection of infant car seats from top brands such as Maxi-Cosi, Silver Cross and Cybex. Click and collect is free to any branch in your area (or Sainsbury's if you are nearby). On all purchases, you can also earn Nectar points. Argos is another great option for a variety of car seats, with prices starting at PS55. They'll also deliver your order for free, offer same-day in-store collection and free returns at any Argos store or participating Sainsbury's branches.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

The trusted British brand is most well-known for its premium prams and pushchairs however, the Silver Cross Motion all-in-one car seat is making waves in the market with its. Jasper the tester loved it. He said it was "the most stylish of the bunch and my baby seemed to find it most comfortable on long drives."

This fully rotating R129-compliant car seat can carry your baby all the way to 12 years of age and was awarded the top baby toddler, child and car seat award at the ADAC's 2022 autumn test. It has also been tested above the rules to ensure your child is safe throughout every journey.

For babies, it has a removable and cosy cushioned insert made of soft bamboo fabric that is comfortable and breathable. It's also antibacterial. The head support and body insert can be removed as your child grows, and the 3 recline and 8 headrest positions can be adjusted to accommodate.

The green light that indicates that the car seat has been correctly installed and is ready for use is an exclusive feature. This makes it an ideal choice for parents who might not be aware of the proper installation and fitting of car seats. It also has a handy stowable harness which can be used in either rear or forward-facing position.

Another major selling point is that it's a long-lasting fixture in the car and you don't need to wake up your sleepy baby to take out for longer journeys. It is not compatible with travel systems like the Britax Romer Dualfix plus iSize, or Joie iSpin 360 iSize. You will need to purchase an additional travel bag.

The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat. They're not as easy to transport between cars. If you decide to buy a separate travel bag, choose one that is sturdy and able to stand up to the wear and tear of frequent use. It's worth paying more for a bag that will last for as long as your child's car seat does.